Sealed Roller Bearing
The invention relates to a roller bearing (1) which is sealed by a sealing washer (6) which forms a rubbing seal and two gap seals. As a result of positions which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of a pivot point (A) and a centre of mass (S) of an elastic support part (14) that bears the rubbing seal (15), the latter is loaded with an outwardly acting axial force in the event of an increased rotational speed as a result of the centrifugal force, with the result that the rubbing sealing lip 15 is in contact with a lower force as the rotational speed increases.
Latest SCHAEFFLER KG Patents:
The invention relates to a roller bearing, in particular a groove ball bearing, having a sealing washer which is installed between a bearing inner ring and a bearing outer ring, comprises a reinforcement and an elastic sealing material, and is arranged in a circumferential annular groove of one of the two bearing rings, the sealing washer having an elastic support part at its other end, from which elastic support part two sealing lips emerge which interact with an undercut which is arranged in the other bearing ring, the undercut being of asymmetrical configuration in such a way that a first shoulder which adjoins the raceway region and a second shoulder which lies on the outside are formed, which shoulders have different diameters, the axially inwardly directed first sealing lip being in rubbing contact with an inner wall of the undercut, and the second axially outwardly directed sealing lip forming a first gap seal with the shoulder which lies on the outside, and in such a way that, radially spaced apart from the first two sealing lips, a third inwardly directed sealing lip is arranged which forms a second gap seal with the first shoulder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A sealing concept of this type for a roller bearing has already been disclosed by JP 2003-227521 A1.
A disadvantage of this sealing concept is, in particular, that the support part with the first two sealing lips is inclined inwards in the non-installed state, the inclination being measured against a plane which extends at right angles to the rotational axis. This inclination ensures that, in the installed state, the first sealing lip bears against the side wall of the undercut in the bearing inner ring with pretension. This has the consequence that increased friction is attained with an increasing rotational speed as a result of the constantly large pressing force of the first sealing lip against the inner wall of the undercut, which increased friction is associated with impermissibly high friction heat. This can lead to the bearing temperature being increased in an impermissible manner, which can lead to a loss of lubricant which has a direct effect on the service life of the roller bearing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONProceeding from the disadvantages of the known prior art, the invention is based on the object of providing a seal for a roller bearing, with which the rubbing sealing lip can be pretensioned as a function of the rotational speed.
According to the invention, this object is achieved according to the characterizing part of Claim 1 in conjunction with its precharacterizing clause, in that, in the installed state, the elastic support part is inclined inwardly in the axial direction with respect to a plane which extends at right angles to a rotational axis, a pivot point A and a centre of mass S of the elastic support part, which centre of mass S is arranged radially spaced apart from the latter, being arranged offset outwardly in the axial direction with respect to one another by an amount a, with the result that, when the roller bearing rotates, a centrifugal force which acts in the centre of mass S triggers a force component which acts in the axial direction outwardly on the first rubbing sealing lip.
The above-described embodiment of the sealing washer therefore makes it possible to support the first sealing lip on the wall of the undercut in a pretensioned manner which is regulated by the centrifugal force. As a result of the inclination of the support part inwards and as a result of the axial offset of the pivot point A and the centre of mass S, the pressing force between the first sealing lip and the undercut falls as the centrifugal force is increased by rotation. As a result, the bearing is not heated excessively, even at high rotational speeds, as a result of the lower friction, which has a positive effect on the lubricant supply and therefore on the entire service life of the roller bearing. The first sealing lip is attached to the elastic support part in a flexurally soft manner and lies under slight pretension, the flexural rigidity of the sealing lip being designed in such a way that, over the entire rotational-speed range of the bearing, optimum sealing-lip contact is ensured.
Further advantageous refinements of the invention are described in Subclaims 2 to 6.
For instance, there is provision according to Claim 2 for a radial spacing 1 of the first sealing lip from the pivot point A and a thickness t of the support part to form the following relationship:
3≦l/t≦6.
This ratio of the length of the lever arm of the first sealing lip to the width of the support part defines the rigidity of the latter, the sealing lip being relieved to a more pronounced extent at the same rotational speed of the bearing as the ratio increases.
It is apparent from Claim 3 that the radial spacing l and the axial amount a form the following relationship:
10<l/a<150.
As a result of this ratio, the mutual effect of the contact force and the centrifugal force is controlled at the respective points of action. This means that the rubbing sealing lip lifts off more readily from the undercut edge at the same bearing rotational speed as the ratio becomes greater.
According to a further feature according to Claim 4, there is provision for an axial spacing k between the centre of mass S and the end of the second sealing lip and an axial spacing m between the centre of mass S and the end of the first sealing lip to form the following relationship:
1<k/m<180.
The influence of the centrifugal force is increased at the same bearing rotational speed as the ratio increases, which means that the rubbing sealing lip lifts off more readily. The design of the seal is configured in such a way with the aid of the abovementioned relationships that, even at the maximum rotational speed, the first rubbing sealing lip which acts as a dynamic sealing lip is still in contact. This results in the already favourable properties with regard to the development of temperature and the level of the friction forces on the sealing lip, which is in a direct relationship with the wear behaviour.
According to a further feature of the invention according to Claim 5, there is provision for the reinforcement of disc-shaped configuration of the sealing washer to be surrounded at least on one side by the elastic sealing material, and for the reinforcement to have an angled-away flange at one end and a limb which is inclined obliquely in the direction of the undercut at the other end. This structural configuration of the sealing washer ensures its sufficient strength and rigidity.
Finally, according to a last feature of the invention according to Claim 6, there is provision for the roller bearing which is sealed according to the invention to be used in a tensioning roller or a deflection roller of a tensioning system, with which a drawing means of a flexible drive is pretensioned. Rollers of this type are subjected to very high loads, and satisfactory functioning of the seal is also required under very difficult conditions, in particular in vehicles with a fording capability.
The invention will be explained in greater detail using the following exemplary embodiment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn the drawings:
At the lower end, the pulley wheel 6 has an elastic support part 14, from which two sealing lips 15, 16 branch off; firstly the rubbing sealing lip 15 which bears against a wall 17 of the undercut 18, and secondly the second sealing lip 16 which forms a first gap seal with the second shoulder 19. The undercut 18 is configured in the bearing inner ring 3 in such a way that the first shoulder 20 which is arranged on the left and adjoins the raceway of the rolling bodies 4 has a greater diameter than the second shoulder 19. There is a third sealing lip 21 above the sealing lips 15, 16, which third sealing lip 21 is directed inwards in the radial direction and forms a second gap seal with the first shoulder 20. Within the context of the invention, the third sealing lip 21 is no longer to be associated with the elastic support part 14. As FIG. 1 further shows, the roller bearing 1 is protected in a very satisfactory manner by the sealing washer 6 with its total of three seals. The second gap seal between the first shoulder 20 and the third sealing lip 21 ensures, in particular, that grease which is thrown off by the rolling bodies 4 is guided back again. The first gap seal which is formed by the second sealing lip 16 and the second shoulder 19 ensures that moisture which penetrates from the outside or dirt which penetrates can pass as far as the rubbing seal only in a very small amount, which rubbing seal is formed by the first sealing lip 15 and the wall 17 of the undercut 18.
In the following text, the method of operation of the seal according to the invention will be explained, reference being made, in particular, to
That part which is arranged in the radial direction below the third sealing lip 21 is to be understood as the elastic support part 14 of the sealing washer 6. The elastic support part 14 comprises the foot 22 which is arranged in an inclined manner in the axial direction inwards by the angle α with respect to a plane E which is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the rotational axis 5. On the left-hand side, the first rubbing sealing lip 15 adjoins the lower end of the foot 22, while on the right-hand side, offset upwards somewhat in the radial direction, the radially outwardly pointing second sealing lip 16 is integrally formed.
A denotes the position of the pivot point of the elastic support part 14, which pivot point is produced during rotation of the bearing outer ring 2. S indicates the position of the centre of mass which is formed by the elastic support part 14. The diameter D1 indicates the diameter of the support part 14, the reference point of the said diameter D1 being the pivot point A. D2 indicates the diameter of the contact point of the first sealing lip 15 which bears against the inner wall 17 of the undercut 18. D3 denotes the internal diameter of the first sealing lip 15, while D4 indicates the position of the diameter of the centre of mass S. l indicates the radial spacing between the pivot point A of the elastic support part 14 and the contact point of the sealing lip 15. t defines the thickness of the elastic support part 14, to be precise the thickness of its foot 22. The axial section between the pivot point A and the centre of mass S of the support part 14 is identified by the amount a. Finally, m and k indicate the axial length of the sealing lip 15 and of the sealing lip 16, respectively, the reference point in each case being the centre of mass S of the support part 14.
As can be seen from
- 1 Roller bearing
- 2 Bearing outer ring
- 3 Bearing inner ring
- 4 Rolling body
- 5 Rotational axis
- 6 Sealing washer
- 7 Space
- 8 Reinforcement
- 9 Flange
- 10 Limb
- 11 Sealing material
- 12 Thickened portion
- 13 Annular groove
- 14 Elastic support part
- 15 First sealing lip
- 16 Second sealing lip
- 17 Wall
- 18 Undercut
- 19 Second shoulder
- 20 First shoulder
- 21 Third sealing lip
- 22 Foot
- A Position of the pivot point of the support part 14
- S Position of the centre of mass of the support part 14
- D1 Diameter of the support part 14
- D2 Diameter of the contact point of the sealing lip 15
- D3 Internal diameter of the sealing lip 15
- D4 Position of the external diameter of the centre of gravity S
- l Radial spacing between the pivot point A and the contact point of the sealing lip 15
- t Thickness of the support part 14
- a Axial spacing between the pivot point A of the support part 14 and its centre of mass S
- m Axial length of the sealing lip 15 in relation to the centre of mass S
- k Axial length of the sealing lip 17 in relation to the centre of mass S
- Curve I Sealing-lip force with a rotating bearing outer ring 2
- Curve II Sealing-lip force with a rotating bearing inner ring 3
- Curve III Friction output with a rotating bearing outer ring 2
- Curve IV Friction output with a rotating bearing inner ring 3
- E Plane
Claims
1. A roller bearing comprising a sealing washer which is installed between a bearing inner ring and a bearing outer ring, the sealing washer comprises a reinforcement and an elastic sealing material, and is arranged in a circumferential annular groove of one of the two bearing rings, the sealing washer having an elastic support part at its other end, from which elastic support part two sealing lips emerge which interact with an undercut which is arranged in the other bearing ring, the undercut being of asymmetrical configuration in such a way that a first shoulder which adjoins the raceway region and a second shoulder which lies on the outside are formed, which shoulders have different diameters, the axially inwardly directed first sealing lip being in rubbing contact with an inner wall of the undercut, and the second axially outwardly directed sealing lip forming a first gap seal with the shoulder which lies on the outside, and in such a way that, radially spaced apart from the first two sealing lips, a third inwardly directed sealing lip is arranged which forms a second gap seal with the first shoulder, wherein, in the installed state, the elastic support part is inclined inwardly in the axial direction with respect to a plane which extends at right angles to a rotational axis, a pivot point and a centre of mass of the elastic support part, which centre of mass is arranged radially spaced apart from the latter, being arranged offset outwardly in the axial direction with respect to one another by an axial amount (a), with the result that, when the roller bearing rotates, a centrifugal force which acts in the centre of mass triggers a force component which acts in the axial direction outwardly on the first rubbing sealing lip.
2. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein a radial spacing (l) of the first sealing lip from the pivot point and a thickness (t) of the support part form the following relationship: 3≦l/t≦6.
3. The roller bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that the radial spacing (l) and the axial amount (a) form the following relationship: 10<l/a<150.
4. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein an axial spacing (k) between the centre of mass and the end of the second sealing lip and an axial spacing (m) between the centre of mass and the end of the first sealing lip form the following relationship: 1<k/m<180.
5. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement of disc-shaped configuration of the sealing washer is surrounded at least on one side by the elastic sealing material, and the reinforcement has an angled-away flange at one end and a limb which is inclined obliquely in the direction of the undercut at the other end.
6. The roller bearing according to claim 1, wherein said roller bearing it is used in a tensioning roller or a deflection roller of a tensioning system, with which a drawing means of a flexible drive is pretensioned.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 26, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 28, 2006
Patent Grant number: 7775721
Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG (Herzogenaurach)
Inventors: Thomas Gietl (Pegnitz), Harald Peschke (Veitsbronn), Andreas Bohr (Herzogenaurach), Georg Goppelt (Pfofeld)
Application Number: 11/426,429
International Classification: F16C 33/76 (20060101);